Mitrania
Mitrania, officially known as the Crownland and Free State of Mitrania (often shortened to Crownland Mitrania) is situated between the Schnee-Berge Mountains to the east and flat boundless plains to the west and is located in the heart of Mikuni-Hulstria. The rich soil and pleasant climate allow a thriving agricultural industry. With more than thirty thousand farms, which produce over 50% of the country's grain, it is known locally as Greater Hulstria's breadbasket. It also has some of the most productive gold mines in the world. Although it has been part of the Empire of Gao-Soto within the Imperial Crownlands and later the United Imperial Crownlands, making the Mikado of Gao-Soto its ceremonial monarch, it has a large Hulstrian minority, which splits 50/50 with the Kunihito. The Crownlands has been known as Crownland and Free State of Mitorania officially since 4167, making it unique among the Crownlands in terms of its official designation. This name is a relic of the Septembrist uprising which started in the Crownland: it was adopted as the name of the provisional restored Crownland government, the administration of which continued into the transition to the Imperial Crownlands of Mikuni-Hulstria. It is said that the name was retained on the instigation of Egon Gubler to commemorate the free spirit of the arch-conservative Crownland. History of Mitrania Early History Before the Luthori colonists came to Greater Hulstria, Mitrania and the rest of the country were part of the Empire of Gao-Soto, a loosely associated set of feudal fiefdoms and nomad homelands under the titular rule of the Meiji Emperor in the capital Akihito, the centre of Gao-Showa culture. Little recorded history of this period remains as only a few nobles and religious figures were able to write and many documents were destroyed by colonists. What few permanent settlements were constructed were mostly destroyed by colonists in later years. What is known is that even in ancient times, Mitrania was a rich and productive area. The nobles that ruled this region were powerful within the ranks of the Ga-Showa for their agricultural produce, notable beneficiaries being the Clan Tokugawa. Remains found only a few years ago at Naruhito, now known Nelspruit gave modern scholars an unprecedented look into Gao-Showa life before the colonists. They found relatively sophisticated agricultural equipment and other artifacts. Colonial History The region east of the Schnee-Berge Mountains was first visited by Luthori colonists towards the close of the 15th century. At that time it was somewhat thinly peopled. The majority of the inhabitants appear to have been unskilled farmers of the Gao-Showa, barely resembling their sophisticated forefathers. Modern scholars believe that the strain of the wars with the Luthori Empire had drained the resources of the Goa-Showa in the region. Once the territories were conquered by the Luthori, colonists poured into the rich farmlands of Mitrania. The colonists built the city of Graaffsberg as the administrative centre of the new colony. In 1578 farmers of Duntrekker, Luthori Catholic, and Episcopalian Kalistani descent seeking pasture for their flocks settled in the country. They were followed in 1593 by the first settlers of the Southern Expansion. These emigrants left Hulstria, New Liore, New Luthori, and the other northern and coastal colonies for various reason, but were primarily animated by the desire to escape from Luthori sovereignty. The leader of the first large party of emigrants was Pieter Heerden, who concluded an agreement with Koshak Takehiko, who claimed to be the chief noble of the local Gao-Showa, selling to the farmers the country between the Schnee-Berge Mountains and the Grote Blauwe Rivier. This led to further conflict between the colonists and natives, the Takehiko not having full claim on the land ceded. The region continued to prosper, at the expense of the native population. By the 1620's it is estimated that only 1/3 of the original number of Gishotoi remained in Mitrania most having migrated east onto the North Dovani Plain. Independence In August 1608 the settlers beyond the Schnee-Berge Mountains declared their independence from Luthori and drew up an elementary republican form of government. After the final defeat of the Gao-Showa, led by Koshak Tokugawa Hojo who lay claim to much of Mitrania, a national assembly was elected, and Wilhelm Retief, one of the ablest of the settlers, chosen "governor and commandant-general." The so-called Mitranian Free State tried to stir up support for independence in neighbouring Hulstria, to little avail. The Luthori administrators in Gishoto at the time did not desire to waste troops on reconquering the Mitranians. They invited Mitranian leaders to a summit in New Liore and agreed to terms for peace in February 1610. The new Mitranian Free State would be part of a "customs union" with the Luthori colonies in Gishoto. The Mitranian Free State was the first independent colonial state on the Dovani continent. The new nation saw a surge of emigration from the Luthori colonies as people tried to escape Luthori influence. Mitrania sought to further the distinction between themselves and the Luthori colonies in the years following independence. They developed a separate dialect of Hulstrian and promoted the expansion of the Catholic and Episcopal religions as opposed to the Lutheranism of the Luthori Hulstrians. Agriculture and infrastructure were also improved during this era. In 1624, a new, more complex constitution was implemented that established the office of Premier, which was the be elected by the National Assembly. It also formally established Graaffsberg as the capital of Mitrania. The main point of contention between the Mitranian Free State and Luthori was centred over the border areas of Straussia and northern Hilgar. As unrest in the other Luthori colonies climbed, the Luthori realised they could no longer afford to administer the outposts of Straussia and much of northern Hilgar. The Mitranian Free State entered into negotiations with the Luthori in 1635 over the future of these two territories. All of Straussia and much of northern Hilgar were absorbed by Mitrania. In exchange, the Mitranian Free State agreed to stop supporting unrest in the other Luthori colonies. In November 1658, gold was found in Korriel, Mitrania. This prompted the Springfontein Gold Rush of 1649. Thousands of gold miners from all over the world flooded into Mitrania and started looking for gold. Korriel tripled in size in just over a year from a small town on the edge of the Schnee-Berge Mountains into a bustling city. Professionals followed the miners to the city, along with businessmen, farmers, and industrialists. Soon, Korriel was the second largest city in Mitrania after Graaffsberg. Many scholars partially attribute the rapid Anschluss with Hulstria to the influx of Hulstrians during the Gold Rush. Clashes with Hulstria When the other Luthori colonies got independence from Luthori as the Hulstrian Empire in 1650, they expected Mitrania to join them. However, the union [Hulstrian: Anschluss] vote was defeated by a large margin. This led to animosity between the two nations, each threatening the other with both war and economic backlashes. These were mostly hollow threats because both nations depended on the other for economic survival. The Mitranian people; however, were much more keen on joining the new Hulstrian Empire. As time wore on, the reasons for separation became less clear. In 1659, the Anschluss Party was formed in Mitrania in order to secure union with the Hulstrian Empire. By 1667, it had a majority in the National Assembly of the Mitranian Free State. In the elections for Premier in 1669, the Anschluss Party's Johannes von Springfontein won. For the next several years, the government negotiated for anschluss with the Hulstrian Empire. In exchange for more autonomy and the preservation their culture, Mitrania joined the Hulstrian Empire. Modern Mitrania In 2139, Gishoto emerged from a period of anarchy and lawlessness known as the Great Dark Period. This period was marred by Gishotoi violence against their Hulstrian rulers. While there was always a central government in Kien, it's authority was almost constantly undone because of the rebellion. Finally, the Hulstrians gave up and assented to the creation of a "Nativised" state. The new nation, Gishoto, was to be a republic. Also part of the agreement was the renaming of several cities in Kuratha, Hilgar, and Mitrania to the original Gao-Showa names for these areas as well as the resetlling of natives in the eastern regions of the nation. Mitranians were nearly universally opposed to this new nation and the destruction of their culture. This opposition, combined with their history of autonomy contributes to their devolutionist policies and their support of the Hulstrian Nationalist Party. Following the end of apartheid Mitrania was put under the leadership of the Gao-Showa Tenno as part of Gao-Soto, the Gao-Showa half of the new nation of Greater Hulstria. Mitrania remains a key region in modern Greater Hulstria. It is a major producer of agricultural products, not only in Hulstria & Gao-Soto but also in the world. The gold mines in and around the Schnee-Berge Mountains also produce much of the nation's gold exports. Mitrania remains one of the more affluent regions in Hulstria & Gao-Soto. Geography and Climate Mitrania's geography is highly diverse, but generally mountainous, dominated by the Schnee-Berge Mountains. Mount Franz is the highest point in Greater Hulstria, which is on the Mitrania-Budenlar border. To the west of the Schnee-Berge Mountains lies the area called the Mitranian Plain, where the rich soils and pleasant climate combine to form some of the best farmland in the world. The high plain in the foothills of the Schnee-Berge known as the Oberflachland is famed for its pristine valleys, spas and lakes, the latter of whom are used for many leisure and recreational activities like swimming or sailing. The Herzoginnejoch or Kogoyama Mountain drives right into the Oberflachland, separating Syakusen from Numamura. The land flattens out toward the south, with slightly more relief on the border with Crownland Hilgar. A summer-rainfall region, Mitrania can be extremely cold during the winter months, especially towards the western mountainous regions. In northeastern Mitrania, nestled in the rolling foothills of the Schnee-Berge Mountains, the Mitrania Highlands National Park is the region's prime tourist attraction. The park gets its name from the brilliant shades of gold cast by the sun on the spectacular sandstone cliffs, especially the imposing Brandwag or Sentinel Rock, which keeps watch over the park. Economy Mining is the region's major employer. A gold reef over 400 kilometres long, known as the goldfields region, stretches across Kuratha and Mitrania and dips into Hulstria and Hilgar. Greater Hulstria is one of the world's largest gold producers. The region has 12 gold mines, producing 30% of Hulstria & Gao-Soto's output. Gold mines in Mitrania also supply a substantial portion of the total silver produced in the country, while considerable concentrations of uranium occurring in the gold-bearing conglomerates of the goldfields are extracted as a byproduct. Bituminous coal is also mined, and converted to petrochemicals at Korriel. Since 2350, Mitrania's economy has moved from dependence on primary sectors such as mining and agriculture to an economy increasingly oriented towards manufacturing and export. Some 14% of the province's manufacturing is classified as being in high-technology industries - the highest of all regional economies. The northern Mitrania chemicals sector is one of the most important in the world. Petrochemicals company Sasol, based in the town of Sasolburg, is a world leader in the production of fuels, waxes, chemicals and low-cost feedstock from coal. Agriculture dominates the Mitranian landscape, with cultivated land covering 32,000 square kilometres, and natural veld and grazing a further 87,000 square kilometres of the region. It is also Hulstria & Gao-Soto's leader in the production of biofuels, or fuel from agricultural crops, with a number of ethanol plants under construction in the grain-producing eastern region. Field crops yield almost two-thirds of the gross agricultural income of the region. Animal products contribute a further 30%, with the balance generated by horticulture. Ninety percent of the country's cherry crop is produced in the Retiefburg area, which is also home to the country's two largest asparagus canning factories. Soya, sorghum, sunflowers and wheat are cultivated in western Mitrania, where farmers specialise in seed production. About 30% of the country's potato yield comes from the region's high-lying areas. Today, in the Post-Septembrist era, especially in cities like Syakusen and Numamura, high-tech industry and the service sector are increasingly gaining ground, leading to a diversification of Mitrania's previously largely agriculture-based economy as well as to rapid progress and urbanization, although the vast part of the Crownland still remains rural and in a mostly natural state. This had led to Mitrania, especially the Oberflachland area, emerging as a major player in the tourist business, with thousands of guests, particularly pensioners, retreating to the numerous spas and health resorts throughout the region over the summer months every year. There are also numerous bathing lakes throughout Mitrania, which are popular among weekend trippers. Demographics Mitrania is home to 22,000,000 people, or about 20% of Greater Hulstria's national population. Mitrania is also one of the fastest growing regions in Hulstria & Gao-Soto thanks to a high birthrate and migration. Over the years the demographics of Mitrania have changed wildly, At the founding of the Republic of Gishoto the White Hulstrian population accounted for roughly 70% of the population with the remainder being primarily Gao-Showa. By the time that Communism collapsed populations were roughly equal due to a declining Hulstrian birth rate and a boom in the Gao-Showa population due to migration of the North Dovani Plain. By the height of the apartheid era this had changed dramatically. It was estimated that 75.83% of the province was White, 13.45% were Coloured, and 10.72% were Gishotoi. There has been some unproven suggestions that government figure were unsound due to the unsettled nature of the native population in this period but it can be taken as a reasonably acurate measure. Although historical records are somewhat vague this seems similar to population levels prior to the creation of the first Republic of Gishoto Following the end of apartheid and the re-settling of millions of Gao-Showa in the newly formed Gao-Soto region of Hulstria & Gao-Soto population levels have once again reached roughly equal levels in Mitrania. The percentage of the population speaking Gao-Showa (language) and Hulstrian is roughly equal and follows ethic lines although Mitranians speak a differnt dialect of Hulstrian than most of the rest of the country due to the influence of non-luthori colonists in the region. Most signs and officially documents are printed with Gao-Showa as the primary language due to Mitrania being a Gao-Showa crownland For relgiion, 47.3% of the population are considered practicers of Shinto, with a large proportion of those also being Buddhists. 42.7% is estimated to be Christian, with the primary denominations being Lutheran, Catholic, and Episcopalian. Politics Mitrania is notoriously parochial and conservative and noted as a heartland of the Septembrist Movement. In post-Septembrist Hulstria and Gao-Soto, the Crownland is among the most enduring heartlands of the Hosianisch-Demokratisches Verbund, with several areas being considered to be willing to "vote for a donkey if you just pin an orange rosette on it". ''Indeed, the Hosian Democrats have governed in the Crownland for almost the whole post-Septembrist period, and regularly with an absolute majority in the Landtag, often being the only single-party government in the Crownlands. The other parties are forced by Mitrania's conservative bend to adopt a more conservative platform in the Crownland, like the Liberale Volkspartei whose Mitranian wing is semi-autonomous under the name Landbund and is considerably more conservative than its mother party. HDV support is concentrated in rural areas and the suburbs of the Crownland's cities, whereas LVP support is considerably more urban. In pre-Septembrist Greater Hulstria, Mitranian politics have been historically dominated by the aristocratic Kaiserliche Hulsterreichische Partei or a particular, major Gao-Showan party. During the Communist period, Mitranian politics was dominated by the Christian Communist Party and during the apartheid era by the Hulstrian Nationalist Party, which was headquartered in the region. In modern times, Mitrania has been dominated mostly by the Faschistische Gewalt-Partei, another aristocratic party. Mitrania is considered highly conservative and when Apartheid was in place, this is where it received it's most enthusiastic welcome from the white population. Thanks to it's well developed economy, it is usually one of the most capitalist and entrepreneurial regions in Greater Hulstria. Major Cities * Graaffsberg * Hennersdam * Korriel * Traugott Culture There are many cultural practices in Mitrania distinct fromt hose in the rest of nation which are described below. For example, Mitrania is famed for its drinking culture and cuisine, which consists of solid meals like steak ("Schnitzel") with potatoes ("Erdäpfel"), ''"Germknödel" (a kind of yeast dumpling filled with plum sauce) or veal sausages ("Weißwürstel"). Mitranians are also very conscious of their rich traditions, and regularly celebrate folk festivals like "Maibaumaufstellen" (erecting a tree in village centres on the 1st of May), "Schützenfeste" (marksmen's festival often featuring a target shooting competition) or "Bauernherbst" (harvest festivals at which local farmers often sell their products at market stalls). In the more alpine regions and especially the Schneeberge mountains, there is also the grisly tradition of "Krampuslauf", held the night before St. Nicholas' Day, when young men dress up as devil-like creatures and haunt their villages, scaring their fellow citizens by visiting their houses in their costumes, clanking with chains and pealing cow bells. Holidays Husltrian Holidays Mitrania Day First celebrated in 1610, August 14th is observed as Mitrania Day. Also called Independence Day, it celebrates Mitranian independence from the Luthori. In contemporary times, it is usually celebrated with a braai and other family social events. Some modern scholars view this as a symbolic cultural independence from Hulstria. Sports Cricket is also played by many Mitranians, a sport that is not popular in the rest of the nation. The game was brought to Mitrania by Kalistani settlers in the 1600's, and has expirienced a resurfacing in recent years. Community Mitranians are famous for their exceptional sense of community. Most White Mitranians are very active in their church and community centres have sprung up accross the region in recent years. In the new gated communities dotting the suburban Mitranian terrain, it is not unusual to see the entire community at a braai or watching local teams play sports. Mitranian parents are usually highly involved in their children's schools. Family is also highly valued in Mitranian society. However, it is not uncommon for different families who have known each other for quite a long time to act as a single unit on occasions. When a Mitranian moves, many times they will try and keep active with their old community while still trying to integrate into their new one. Even so, the prospect of losing one's community means that traditionally, Mitranians rarely moved far away. This custom is changing in modern times, but it is still apparent. Transportation The Greater Hulstria Road System is a network of highways that links all the major population centers in Greater Hulstria. The system was mostly built by the Gishoton government during the 2200's, although construction of new roads and repairs of existing stretches continue today. Currently, Mitrania's major roads run between the metroplexes of Graaffsberg and Korriel and the two other cities, Traugott and Hennersdam. Almost all of the other Mitranian roads run off of these major roads. In 2370, Mitrania had a total of 10,384 km of rail transport, all of it narrow gauge. It's extensive railways connect Mitrania with Kien and the coastal areas and allow Mitranian goods to be exported all over the world. Hundreds of freight trains pass throughGraaffsberg and Korriel every week, bringing new goods in and taking exports out. There is currently one international airport in Mitrania. This is the Tokugawa Ieyasu International Airport (formerly Pieter Herdeen Internation Airport) in Graaffsberg. ITIA is second only to the Hulstria International Airport in Kien as the largest airport in Greater Hulstria. It is often rated as one of the best airports in all of Dovani. There are three other national airports in Mitrania that provide service to other airports in the nation and links to the country's international airports for world travel. Category:Regions Category:Greater Hulstria Category:Mitrania